Kozhikode: With the Vishu festival just around the corner, Karipur Airport has been bustling with the export of 'Kani Konna' (Cassia fistula/golden shower/Indian laburnum) flowers to foreign countries. These flowers are for Malayalis setting up the Vishukkani, the colorful and auspicious display marking the beginning of Vishu.

Remarkably, these flower exports are receiving special attention, ensuring meticulous packaging. They are carefully packed in crates with cold gel packs to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage.

Out of the 2,000 kilograms of various flowers dispatched from Karipur on April 11 and 12, around 80 percent consisted of golden shower flowers. Reports indicate that over 1,600 kilograms of flowers were exported during these two days.

These flowers are sourced from Karipur and its surroundings. Agencies are purchasing golden shower flowers at prices ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kilogram.

K.B. Rafique from KB Exports and Imports, Karipur, said that 100 kilograms of flowers were shipped to Middle Eastern countries and 30 kilograms to European countries. 

Each crate can hold 4 kilograms of golden shower flowers and is packed with ice packs, weighing a total of 5 kilograms. Exporting a single crate of these flowers occupies space equivalent to 20 kilograms of other items, making the export cost approximately four dollars per crate.